The goal of this training program is to recruit and educate physician-scientists who have the potential to become leaders in the field of Genetic Medicine. The program is designed to expose trainees to all facets of modern medical genetics extending from the laboratory to the patient setting. Hopkins provides leadership in the categorization and mapping of inherited traits, the study and management of patients with inborn errors of metabolism and neurogenetic disorders, the application of genomic and computational methods to the identification and understanding of multiple genes and their role in human disease, as well as the diagnosis, classification and treatment of disorders of connective tissue. The training experience emphasizes research in human genetics and prepares trainees for a career in academic medicine. The McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine oversees the clinical, educational and research activities in human genetics of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Faculty offices and research laboratory facilities of the Institute are consolidated in the Broadway Research Building that is adjacent to the Hospital. The Clinical Program operates within Hospital space and educational activities occur in the Hospital, Research and Preclinical Teaching Building. Thus, Research, Education and Clinical Programs of the Institute are in close proximity facilitating transition from one activity to another for faculty and trainees. The program has an outstanding track record of educating physician-scientists who have made and continue to make substantial contributions to medical genetics. Physicians desiring eligibility for the American Board of Medical Genetics perform clinical training for 12 months followed by 6 months of research-oriented clinical exposure before entering 18 months of an intensive in-depth experience in genetic research. To maintain the strong emphasis on research training and to expand the number of physicians who will contribute to advancements in the field of genetic medicine, the Institute offers combined training programs in pediatrics and genetics (5 years), maternal fetal medicine and genetics(4 or 5 years), and internal medicine and genetics (5 years). Trainee stipends for the clinical portion of each training program are provided by the Hospital while this grant supports trainees when they are primarily devoted to research. Research is performed under the auspices of a carefully selected mentor, with additional mentoring and career guidance provided by the Program Director, the Co-Director and selected senior faculty members to facilitate transition into a productive independent research career. The program currently averages 10 trainees per year and 5 trainee stipends per year are requested in this application. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The Medical Genetics Training program at Johns Hopkins educates physicians and scientists in the application of genetic principles to decipher the mechanisms of rare and common inherited diseases in humans. Trainees in the program become skilled in translating genetic information from the bench to the bedside with the primary goal of improving health outcomes in patients with genetic disorders.